When it's all said and done
by SirLamb55
Summary: After Seeds of Yesterday, Cathy reunites with her family on the other side catching up on missing time on being a family. Kinda spiritual take on the end of the story.


_**Author's note: I am very new to the Flowers in the Attic serious, instantly love them. Maybe not well verse as other people but I'm all ready planning to**_**_start Flowers over again. This is my first attempt writing anything and i will admit it might not be the best, but i just reread the last part of Seeds of Yesterday and i thought it would be nice if she gets reunited with her family. It's kinda spiritual but I thought it was sweet idea. I know this book series as a serious following behind it and all i wanted to do was do it justice and try this out, i mean no offense. My whole idea that they return to the attic, even though it was a horrible place for them. It's the place what truly made them a family so that was my thinking, a idealistic version of the attic. Please i appreciate on constructive criticism, please be gentle though! _**

There once was a vary old woman who fell asleep in the attic. Her family mourn her passing in a paper garden. Her story was both tragic and beautiful, it could break your heart in a million pieces and rebuild it back up in a matter of seconds. The garden is staying up this time as long as the glue and tape can hold. It will be a memorial not of innocence but as life. A life once belong to a family of four long long ago...

Cathy felt like she fell into a deep hole but didn't mind it. She felt like she was some tight ball that went deep into nothing and yet she felt so calm in this moment that she didn't bother to question it or if she was still in the attic viewing the day evolving around her. She didn't completely knew where she was going but it was going to be all right. The next thing she experienced was some wondrous blue light blasting around her. She kept her eyes shut through the light as it emitted its warmth. A warmth the reminded her of warm blankets she had back in Gladstone. What she bundled up in to keep warm in her early childhood. Then those early childhood memories were rushing back to her like they were fresh memories. All the good ones were there, not her grandmother or what happened with her mother. Even her memories before the death of her father were rushing around her head. Was this what it was like, she thought. Or was this a dream, she still fifty four and in the attic. What was this?

Then everything went quiet for a brief second as Cathy expected to wake up in her old body. But that was when she heard some familiar sounds echoing behind her head. Footsteps of children running around, small footsteps follow with laughter. She felt sunlight pouring on her face like it was someone caressing her. "Let's play hide and seek Carrie!" A familiar yet forgotten voice said in a perfect childish manor. She rolled her head toward the direction of the sound. She notice her skin felt different rubbing up against her shirt and the back of her hand. Her eyes settled on the site of her young siblings running around the attic that was once there prison, was once there home. She was afraid by the site of this as a smile slowly formed watching Carrie and Corey dressed in there Sunday best, run around in the bright attic full of paper flowers hanging everywhere. The forest they created was back in glory as Cathy stay in near the window. Corey was the first to notice Cathy as he lead Carrie over. "Cathy, you wanna play?" Corey asked innocently as ever. Carrie stood beside him with this goofy grin on her face. Cathy notice her first, she looked different to her. Knowing, maybe but Cathy couldn't get over how happy she looked. "Cathy, you wanna play hide and seek?" Corey begged. "Not right now." Cathy said slowly getting to her feet. "After lunch I'll play with you guys all night if you want." Cathy said not questioning this image in front of her but accepting this. "You guys can stay up all night if you want we can play hide and seek, we can do dress up and maybe even do a play or whatever you guys can dream of." Cathy said getting excited talking to them. She watched both Carrie and Cathy jump up and down there grins get wider and wider, they really couldn't contain there excitement.

"Really?" Carrie exclaimed "No bed times!" They both shouted. "Yes you beautiful kids, my family I love both of you and you two deserve anything and everything." Cathy said feeling the excitement herself. "Now go play you two.", but before she let them go she grabs there arms quickly and dragged them close to her chest. "I love you too, I love you so much." Cathy said choking back tears as she realize what this is. She was young again, thirteen maybe. As the ran away to enjoy the attic Cathy realize that she was dress in her old clothes. Ones that her mother bought in the first few months of there day in the attic, they looked brand new on her. The attic felt brand new to her, she wasn't scared of it. Everything look fresh to her as she walked through this lost land of hers. She went over to touch one of the flowers, it was one that she made. A memory of creating this red flower with blue and orange splotches all over it. She smelled the dry paint and felt the rough texture of the paper. She found the trees, the orange snail and the worm. They were brand new like they were built yesterday. The attic smelled fresh as well as like the flowers were emitting the smell for real. Her world outside of this attic keeps turning as she can live in peace. This made everything right, she thought. She had no reason to worry anymore. But where is Christopher Doll, where is he hiding?

She made her way down the narrow steps into there former bedroom. There he sat young and vibrant. He sat in a button down blue shirt perfectly tucked in his slacks. He lay on my bed with his head sticking deep in a book, medical one to be precise. Cathy grinned at the sight from ear to ear as she hanged on the door frame. This was a beautiful sight that she wanted to drink in and observe every aspect. "You were asleep for awhile there." Christopher said without looking up from his book. "I told the twins to let you sleep for as long as you need it because you deserve it." Christopher said shutting his book and setting on the night stand. He sat up sitting at the edge of bed, his face looked so bright that it lit up the room, my gosh did it ever look like some bright and shiny star. "They didn't wake you or anything?" Christopher checked. I felt the tears running down my face as I couldn't control my hands from shaking against the door frame. "What is with you?" Chris said laughing. Chris stood up a young man. Before anything truly horrible happen, the one who had vast dreams of the future was here. Her brother, her true love in this world. Cathy couldn't contain herself, she charged at Chris grabbing him in a bear hug as she kept kissing him deeply on the lips. Chris was holding her in the air as her legs floated around the room. Cathy wouldn't let go as she held him tight as river of tears ran down her face pooling in Chris's neat blue shirt. Chris eventually set her feet down on the ground. He lean his head back to her ears, "I missed you so much Catherine Doll, my beautiful sister , my one true love." Chris said whispering this. Chris eventually let me down as I notice the big change to our attic home, the door that grandmother locked nice and tight was wide open.

I started to walk over to inspect this new sight. But Chris grabbed my hand and dragged me to our bed. We both sat together as my head rested in his shoulder and his arm wrapped around me. It was hard to first feel his warm coming through his blue shirt. I was too busy watching that open door and the gray hallway on the underside. I expected grandmother or even our once happy mother to come walking in. But all there was the echoing sounds of Carrie and Corey footsteps and childish screams of joy. "Haven't seen grandmother here nor our mother." Chris said casually. There wasn't any fear or dread in his voice when he said that. "I don't expect to see them any time soon." He added as he rested his head on mine. I smiled at that notion, this big toothy grin that seem childish. I felt childish again, I had a good life there was no doubt about that. The pains and the glory and everything in between but when I am alone in the cold nights. When all the schemes and moments where I felt like I was never escaping this, all of this. I wish I had my childhood back, the best moments was my children, Christopher and my youth if I was honest. Especially youth, that was sometimes a forgotten memory that I was ever young. I was a parent and that was the start of my life.

As much as I love this moment I had to ask the obvious question but Christopher as usual read my mind. "Lady Catherine the one true queen of this humble case with wonderful flowers in the courtyard." Chris said in large fashion. I looked up at him with this odd expression on my face not sure where he is going with it. Chris laughed looking at her puzzled face, he knows the whole story and enjoys keeping it from her. "I like the ring of that, don't you think?" Chris started to say. "As much as long long ago I thought I was the father the ruler of this roost I think this home should have a new ruler." Chris said as he adjusted to look into my eyes. "This place was great when it was the four of us." Chris said honest. "What are you saying?" I said leaning back not expecting this. "Bear with me for a second, rest your head Catherine Doll and let me tell you this new perspective it's quite fascinating I assure you." I lean my head back on his shoulder. "We were born to believe in family at least that's maybe one of the few good things our mother taught us. "As much of this place destroy time and our innocence it gave us the family we deserve, every moment we tried to make Corey and Carrie happy." Christopher said leaning closer as his warmth grew through me. "Where we were scared together , when the twins were sick creating the garden in the attic the love that made this place shine bright like a night sky and that is something amazing." It was a hard sell to Cathy at first but she remembers those moments vividly. "The power of family is something , that power can transform a nightmare into something beautiful." Chris said in glorious fashion that I kinda got. "This place was bad for us." I whispered. "It was and I agree with that and what your thinking." Chris said again reading my thoughts. "But this isn't Foxworth Hall and I would be shocked if we see grandmother coming up here and preach you see we aren't hiding up here we are living a complete life," Chris said looking up at the roof.

They were getting louder up there, the laughter echoed and vibrated everywhere it seems. "Corey miss Carrie maybe even more than me and that is REALLY saying something but when they met up again it was …." Chris said as he started to laugh recalling the memory. "It was transcending, it was love that made this place." "But we get to finish what we started love the quiet and dance till the sun comes out." Chris said charmingly. "We get to live when we want now, explore this place properly." Chris laughs again thinking about the last time. "We can search everything now and it can be your adventure, I don't have to be your storyteller again." Chris said leaning into me. I push him against his chest. "Tell me more stories I like your stories." I say laughing as well. I saw what he saw now. The room looked new and shiny, very clean even. I don't feel scared of this room which is a foreign feeling to experience.

"There is one person that checks on us at times he stops by and sometimes we go for walks talking about what he missed out on." I sat up turning towards Chris looking shocked, I can't believe I didn't ask if he was around here. Our father, our father that loved us like the only human beings in existence. "He would be so happy to see you again," Chris said looking at me as he thinks of our father as well and he gets a far off look to his face thinking of fond memories. "Um does he know..." I start out saying timidly thinking of what happen between me and Chris the intimate relationship we forged. "Does he know about us, what we were?" I asked a bit embarrassed. "Yes he knows everything, I even told him and please don't be mad that I told him but he doesn't care what happen between us." Chris said as I felt my chest again starting to breath. "He cares that we survive and found solace to live and especially know it really doesn't matter." Chris explain as I feel relieved.

I looked at him in silence for a long time. I loved to look at the young face again with the old man's eyes. He stroked my face and lean over to kiss me again. "How do you feel about all of this?" He asked looking me close to my face. "Great, I really feel happy and young like a ballerina should." I answer with a grin. I found myself holding his hand tightly. I knew I was going back to him, he needed me like I stated. Still to take care of our brother and sister, not to be alone anymore. He needed me and I needed him that was one thing I didn't mention before. This was the world I missed, the family that lives one in the written word and it the last flowers that grew in Foxworth Hall. I needed to have my family again. "Why don't we check on the twins,." Chris offered up. "When the sun sets we can all walk where the purple grass grows." Chris said with a big smile. After that I smiled again, my face was hurting from smiles as my life felt rewarded now. I wasn't perfect but I was complete. This is proof of that, that our life was strong and worth the pains that it gives. I walked up the stairs to see about the twins holding Chris's hand tight. The twins weren't done playing, they said they felt far from tired. So we sat on the small bed in the corner holding each other watching the twins play. We couldn't help watching there exuberant nature but not joined in ourselves. We played hide and seek and tag for what felt like hours.

We did get to walk where the purple grass grows, we saw the sun set until the night came. I never worried about my family left behind as I didn't have too. I earn this life as I held tight to Chris as we carried the twins to bed, apparently you can still feel tired and hungry emotions still run strong in the attic. We didn't sleep the first night as we lay in the same bed, he read to me from various books about far off lands and fantasies that maybe were a bit more real than usual.


End file.
